Representation of women in society -"Culotées"

There is a lack of representation of women in society—of powerful, successful women who do what they want. And when such women exist in real life, they struggle to appear in the media or in cultural representations. Their individual identities are often reduced to “A WOMAN”: “A woman wins the Nobel Prize…” “The country elects a woman as prime minister,” “a woman is running to succeed the representative…” They have no names or other characteristics beyond their gender. This phenomenon of erasing women is humorously depicted on a Wikipedia page dedicated to “a woman.”

Putting names to these stories and sharing these women’s journeys is essential. And this representation influences new generations, allowing young women to identify with these figures and imagine themselves capable of such achievements.

Pénélope Bagieu understood these issues; she created two graphic novels titled “Culottés—Women Who Do Only What They Want,” each featuring 15 biographies of women from different eras and cultures—most of whom have been forgotten or overlooked, some with incredible stories and others with more ordinary ones—all of whom faced difficulties and fought against prejudice.

Among them : Clémentine Delait, la reine Nzinga, Margaret Hamilton, Las Mariposas ( Patria, Minerva et María-Teresa Mirabal) Josephina van Gorkum, la guerrière chamane Lozen, Annette Kellermann, Delia Akeley, Josephine Baker, Tove Jansson, Agnodice, Leymah Gbowee, Giorgina Reid, Christine Jorgensen, Wu Zetian, Temple Grandin, Sonita Alizadeh, Cheryl Bridges, Thérèse Clerc, Betty Davis, Nellie Bly, Phulan Devi , The shaggs ( Dot Betty and Helen Wiggin) Katia Krafft, Jesselyn Radack, Hedy Lamarr, Naziq al-Abid, Frances Glessner Lee, Mae Jemison and Peggy Guggenheim.

Hagnodikè, or Agnodice, disguised herself as a man to take the gynecology exam in Athens around 350 B.C. and practice as a physician—something impossible for a woman. Her success aroused the jealousy of her male colleagues, and she was summoned before the judges, to whom she revealed her identity. She escaped a severe punishment thanks to the solidarity of her patients, who refused to be treated by anyone else. Her story is a fine example of a woman forging her own destiny, supported by others. Women were authorized to practice the following year.

Since no provisions existed for women, they had to assert themselves to change the norms designed for men. Annette Kellermann, an Australian swimmer, for example, popularized the one-piece swimsuit, as athletic performance was impossible in traditional swimwear. It is largely thanks to her that European and Australian women were able to learn to swim—or simply to consider participating in sports—following her example.

While all the women in the comic have inspiring stories, I’d like to draw your attention to Sonita Alizadeh. Born in Afghanistan, her family moved to Iran, and she thus escaped her first forced marriage at the age of 10. A fan of rap and Eminem, she sang “Daughters for Sale” when she herself was promised in marriage (she was 14 at the time). Her video led to her being spotted by the StrongHeart organization, and she left for the United States. Her story resonates with thousands of others and encourages us to take an interest in these women’s life journeys, to talk about them, and to share their stories.